Canal-boat propulsion.



PATENTED FEB. 3, 1903 J. G. TONE.

CANAL BOAT PROPULSION.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 24, 1902 N0 MODEL.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH O. TONE, OF IRONDEQUOIT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, GEORGE S.GALLAGHER, AND HENRY GALLAGHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CANAL-BOAT PROPULSION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,907, dated February3, 1903.

Application filed January 24, 1902. Serial No. 91,024. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH C. TONE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Irondequoit, in the county of Monroe and State of New York,have invented an Improvement in Canal-Boat Propulsion, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Boats have heretofore been propelled or drawn through canals by variousdevices, and in connection with said devices it has been common toemploy a rope or chain lying in the bottom of the canal and which ropeor chain was passed longitudinally through or alongside the powerboat,and the boat was provided with devices for engaging the chain or ropeand drawing upon the same. This rope or chain was raised progressivelyfrom the bottom of the canal, passed through or along the boat and againinto the water at the rear of the boat, the boats drawn thereby beingcarried through the canal by the power devices upon the boat. Among thedevices employed upon the powerboat were sprocketwheels, over which thechain passed and by which the chain was engaged or a drum around whichthe rope was drawn several times to obtain the necessary bite. In thesedevices suitable power was required, and the strain, as well as'theapplied power, were too much localized, having the tendency to rapidlywear the machinery, all of which it is the object of my presentinvention to obviate.

In carrying out my invention I employ a series of large sheaves orrollers and prefer to employ a chain to be raised from the bottom of thecanal and which passes longitudinally through the power-boat,said chainpassing alternately over and under the sheaves or rollers of the series.These sheaves or rollers are mounted upon suitable shafts, which carrylarge bevel-gears. The bevelgears are engaged by small bevel-pinions,and these latter aremounted upon a horizontallyplaced straight-lineshaft driven directly by the engine. In this manner the power of theengine is directly applied, and the series of.

bevel-gears and sheaves or rollers not only distribute the appliedpower, but distribute the draft upon the chain,'so that the chain isengaged at a number of places. By this device the strain of drawing uponthe chain is also considerably distributed over the structure of thepower-boat. The tendency therefore of the device is to move evenly andsmoothly and with a minimum amount of strain and wear and tear.

In the drawings, Figure l is a diagrammatic view illustrating myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through thepower-boat. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection, and Fig. 4 is a plan ofthe essential operative mechanism.

I have generally illustrated the outline of a boat, showing the bottomportion, the stern, the bow, and the deck, but do not in' any senselimit myself to the construction of the boat, as the devices of theinvention may be fitted into a boat built expressly therefor or into aboat already in use.

or represents the chain or rope normally lying at the bottom of thecanal and adapted to be raised therefrom and as raised passed lengthwisethrough the power-boat. I employa sheave b in the bow of the boat,acting as a guide for the chain or rope as the same is raised from thebottom of the canal and prefer to employ a second sheave c in bearingsfastened to the bottom of the boat and beneath which the said rope orchain passes.

01, e, f, and 9 represent large sheaves or rollers, preferably havingV-shaped peripheries in cross-section, and the chain or rope (it passessuccessively over and under these sheaves or rollers, and from the lastroller thereof said chain or rope preferably passes over a sheave 72.,adjacent to the stern of the boat, and a sheave idirectly in the sternof the boat, and

thence back into the canal. I

d, e, f, and g represent standards in pairs having bearings for theshafts of the large sheaves or rollers d, e,f, and g, as shown in thecross-section, Fig. 3. These bearing-standards preferably extend betweenthe under side of the deck and the bottom of the boat and are securelyfastened to said points of contact, so as to make a rigid structure.Upon the shafts of said large sheaves or rollers I employ largebevel-gears 1, 2, 3, and 4. These 7 ter of the large sheaves or rollers.

The power-shaft 7.; is a horizontally-placed straight-line shaftdirectly driven by the engine or engines Z. It is placed in a horizontalplane passing through the axial centers of,

the shafts of the sheaves and bevel-gears, and mounted thereon arebevel-pinions 5, 6, 7, and S, which engage the large bevel-gears 1 2 34, so as to cause them to turn in opposite directions upon the rotationof the power-shaft 7a.

This power-shaft 7c is mounted in suitable bearings m. The large sheavesd ef g are in line longitudinally of the boatand they agree in diameter,as do also the large bevel-gears l, 2, 3, and 4, and the sheaves andgears also agree in diameter with one another. The channel or V form incross-section given to the peripheries of the large sheaves or rollersdefg grip or bite the chain or rope a as the same passes over and undersaid sheaves 0r rollers. Thus a powerful hold is obtained at the fourpoints upon the chain or rope to draw upon the same in propelling thepower-boat and drawing along the boats that may be connected therewith.The sheave b is quite essential in directing the chain or rope as thesame enters the boat, and the sheave c is essential in effecting thebite of the chain or rope as the same passes over the large sheave d.The sheave his also essential in effecting the bite of the chain or ropeagainst the under surface of the large sheave g, and the sheave 9) isessential in directing the outgoing chain or rope.

I have shown and may prefer to employ the bevel-gears 10, 11, 12, and 13and the shafts 14 and 15 in suitable bearings for communieating rotationand power from the large bevel-gear 1 to the sheave bin the bow of theboat, and I have shown and may prefer to employ bevel-gears 16, 17, 18,and 19, mounted on the shafts 20 and 21 in suitable bearings andcommunicating rotation and power from the large bevel-gear 4 to thesheave t'in the stern of the boat, these devices facilitating thedrawing upon, entrance into, and exit from the power-boat of the chainor rope, and thus to a certain extent distributing the force applied andrelieving the strain upon the large sheaves or rollers. I do not,however, limit myself to the use of these devices or to the number ofthe large sheaves or rollers employed so long as there is a seriesthereof.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with the power-boat and theengine thereof, of a series of large sheaves or rollers in linelongitudinally of the boat with their axial centers in substantially thesame plane, and devices substantially as shown and described forrotating the said series of sheaves simultaneously and in two sets inopposite directions by the engine, and a rope or chain passing over andalternately under the, respective sheaves, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the power-boat, the engine thereof and ahorizontally-placed straight-line shaft from the engine, of a series oflarge sheaves or rollers corresponding in diameter and placed in linelongitudinally of the boat, with their axial centers in substantiallythe same plane, shafts therefor and large bevel-gears mounted on saidshafts and bevel-pinions mounted upon the straight-line shaft of theengine and meshing with the large bevel-gears and adapted tosimultaneously rotate the large bevel-gears and large sheaves or rollerstogether and in twosets in the opposite direction, and a rope or chainpassing over and alternately under the respective sheaves, substantiallyas set forth.

3. The combination with the power-boat, the engine thereof and ahorizontally-placed straight-line shaft from the engine, of a series oflarge sheaves or rollers corresponding in diameter and placed in linelongitudinally of the boat, shafts therefor and large bevelgears mountedon said shafts and agreeing in size with the diameter of the said largesheaves or rollers, and bevel-pinions mounted upon the straight-lineshaft of the engine and meshing with the large bevel-gears and adaptedto simultaneously rotate the large bevelgears and large sheaves orrollers together and in the required direction, guide-sheaves in the bowand stern of the boat respectively, a guide sheave forward of the firstlarge sheave and a guide-sheave between the last of the large sheavesand the sheave in the stern of the boat and a rope or chain passing overand alternately under the respective sheaves, substantially as setforth.

4. The combination with the power-boat, the engine thereof and ahorizontally-placed straight-line shaft from the engine, of a series oflarge sheaves or rollers corresponding in diameter and placed in linelongitudinally of the boat, shafts therefor and large bevel-gearsmounted on said shafts and agreeing in size with the diameter of thesaid large sheaves or rollers, and bevel-pinions mounted upon thestraight-line shaft of the engine and meshing with the large bevel-gearsand adapted to simultaneously rotate the large bevel-gears and largesheaves or rollers together and in the required direction, guide-sheavesin the bow and stern of the boat respectively, a guidesheave forward ofthe first large sheave and a guide-sheave between the last of the largesheaves and the sheave in the stern of the boat, and series ofbevelgears and shafts upon which the same are mounted for communicatingrotation and power from the first and last of the large bevel-gearsrespectively to the sheaves in the bow and stern of the boat and a ropeor chain passing over and alternately under the respective sheaves,substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 16th day of January, 1902.

JOSEPH O. TONE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE T. PINoKNEY, BERTHA M. ALLEN.

